BENGALURU: Isro on Friday said India’s first Analogue space mission kicks off in Leh, in a collaborative effort by its Human Spaceflight Centre, Aaka Space Studio, University of Ladakh, IIT Bombay, and supported by Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council.
“…This mission will simulate life in an interplanetary habitat to tackle the challenges of a base station beyond Earth,” Isro, which is in talks with multiple academic groups for a larger analogue research project, said.
Aaka, which has initiated the country’s first Mars and Moon Analogue mission in Ladakh is conducting a month-long project in partnership with Isro and other partners.
Aaka founder Aastha Jhala, told TOI: “The habitat prototype, developed by Aaka Space Studio, features advanced technologies including an EVA (extra-vehicular activity) preparation zone, circadian lighting systems, and hydroponics for food production. A stand-alone solar power system and comprehensive environmental monitoring ensure the habitat’s self-sufficiency in extreme conditions.”
Led by Aastha, the mission aims at leveraging Ladakh’s unique environmental characteristics that mirror Mars-like conditions. The region’s high altitude provides only 40% of sea-level oxygen, while its extreme temperature variations from 15°C to -10°C closely simulate the challenging conditions astronauts might face on Mars or the Moon.
“This mission represents a crucial step in developing sustainable human habitats for space exploration,” Aastha said.
The research conducted during this mission will not only test the habitat’s physical systems but also study human adaptation to isolation and extreme environments. The findings will be shared with the global scientific community, contributing to the advancement of space habitation technology.
However, this is only the first such mission, and will not be India’s only mission in analogue research and findings from multiple such endeavours are expected to play a key role in India’s future endeavours of having a more sustainable presence on Moon and Mars, in line with global efforts.